Small boat crossing was not 'uncontrolled landing'
Getty ImagesA boat carrying 21 migrants that made it across the English Channel was not an "uncontrolled landing" as it was intercepted on the shore, the Home Office says.
It said the label on the government data for Monday's crossing was incorrectly published, adding the boat was tracked to UK shores and a decision was made to intercept it on land in Dover for safety reasons.
The Home Office said all 21 people were detained and processed in the usual way.
In September, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described migrant landings on UK beaches as "not acceptable" as she ordered a review into two boats which had reached Kent without being intercepted.
The Home Office said it had made progress tackling small boats and that crossings were down "significantly" with the lowest number of summer arrivals being recorded since 2020.
It added: "We are taking action, with joint efforts preventing over 48,000 crossing attempts and seizing 1,100 boats and engines since the election.
"But we must go further, which is why we are boosting the number of officers on the ground in France and removing the pull factors drawing people here through illegal and dangerous routes."
Between Friday and Monday, 924 migrants arrived in total on 15 boats.